


To Die By Your Hand

by arisafari2659



Category: Heaven's Secret (Visual Novel)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Making Love, Oral Sex, Passion, Vaginal Sex, anguish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:27:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28209042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arisafari2659/pseuds/arisafari2659
Summary: "The best often die by their own hand just to get away, and those left behind can never quite understand why anybody would ever want to get away from them." - Charles BukowskiMalbonte appears to Aria in a vision. Season 3, Episode 7. NSFW
Relationships: Malbonte/MC
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	To Die By Your Hand

_Malbonte visits Aria in a vision._

_Season 3, Episode 7._

The shape of Malbonte came into view as she stepped out onto the balcony of her room. Aria was careful to shut the door behind her quietly as to not wake Mimi. He stood in front of her menacingly, casting his dark eyes over her scantily clad body. She wore a thin white nightdress that clung to her body in all of the right places. Aria saw the hungry look in Malbonte’s eyes and instinctively wound her arms over her chest.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him.

The calmness in her voice seemed to surprise him, and he raised his eyebrows in amusement. “You’re not afraid?”

Aria studied him. “Should I be?” She knew in her heart that there was no possible way he could be truly standing in front of her right now—the energy shields would have prevented it. She knew that he was just a vision, nothing more.

Malbonte walked towards her and Aria instantly tensed up. He noticed this slight reaction and smiled slowly. “You’re a smart girl. You know this is just a vision,” he murmured. He stood so close to her that she could smell the smoky, patchouli musk of his skin. “But I can still hurt you.”

She looked up at him, unafraid. The tenderness in his eyes betrayed him. Her eyes watched as he raised a hand next to her face. He softly dragged a cold finger down her neck, trailing over her tattooed collarbones. She shivered; it felt so real. Malbonte immediately lowered his hand, pleased with her reaction. She hadn’t recoiled. She hadn’t slapped him. She hadn’t tried to spit in his face.

He took a step back, his shadow casting long dark shapes across the roof. Moonlight covered Aria in an ethereal glow. Her hair was reflecting beams of light and her eyes were twinkling like stars. It was her voice that brought him out of his trance a moment later. “We are distant relatives. Did you know?”

Malbonte fought the urge to grin. He sat on the very edge of the roof and dangled his legs over the edge. “So distant, it doesn’t really matter.” He stared out at the vast expanse of the academy. The stars were so bright and the soft breeze that passed them—he knew it was warm, even if he couldn’t feel it.

Aria’s nightgown billowed out in the breeze. She clutched her hands at her side. “So you knew?”

“Of course I knew,” he said shortly.

“And yet you still killed me.” There was pain in her voice. And if even if he hadn’t heard it, Malbonte _felt_ it. He felt the disgust, confusion, and anguish emanating from her tiny form. He felt the anger bubbling up in her stomach—but he felt no hatred.

“I was nothing but darkness back then,” he whispered. He dared not look at her. He couldn’t. “You were just a mortal to me. Someone I’d never seen. Humans were all just bleak faces to me…pawns. I needed to kill as many pawns as possible to check and checkmate the king. It’s as simple as that.”

Clouds rolled through the sky, blocking the light of the moon. It suddenly fell very dark and Aria felt a cold chill on her skin. “What a pitiful excuse,” she hissed.

Malbonte’s feathers ruffled in the wind. “I’m just telling you the truth.” Aria’s face burned with indignation at his rude, arrogant response. She turned on her heel and started to head back to the balcony, not wanting to waste anymore time there. “Aria,” he called out to her. “We’re not done yet.”

He could feel her blood boiling. But above it all, he knew she was intrigued. “I think we are.”

He spoke before the intrigue faded away. “Your mother’s abilities are the result of the blood of immortals running through her veins,” he spoke. He felt her draw closer to him, her soft footsteps padding across the roof. “But it wasn’t as prominent in her case as it is in yours. She achieved a great deal due to her perseverance and stamina…I’ll give her that much. Some power remained in you for the same reason. Anyone else would have died. But not you. Not your mother.”

Aria was silent for a moment, processing his words. She came closer, cautiously. Malbonte finally looked over at her, dark eyes full of emotion. If Aria hadn’t learned how to read him, how to process their bond, his face would have betrayed nothing. She slowly lowered herself to the edge of the roof, sitting down next to him. “Is that why you want me on your side?”

She swung her legs slightly, her thigh brushing against his. He was cold as ice. She wondered where his physical body was—in the camp? In some icy forest? Was he near, or was he far? Malbonte’s eyes fell onto Aria’s left hand, which was lying just centimeters from his. “I don’t want to be your enemy,” he whispered to her. Rays of moonlight peaked through the clouds. They shone on his face, revealing the silent plea behind his cold exterior. Aria felt his palm rest over hers.

“And you think I do?” She asked. There was pain in her voice. “Do you think I want to be at war with you?”

“You had a choice—”

“And so did you!” Aria cried. Malbonte looked at her in shock. He saw the fear in her eyes, felt the anger, the sadness, the desperation. “You can’t kill Shepha. You want too much…you fly too close to the sun.” He said nothing, only grasped her hand tighter in his. He saw the tears well up in her eyes. “Give up this ruse, Malbonte, and join _me._ We’ll go to Shepha and beg for his forgiveness—”

“Aria.” He whispered her name so softly that it made her skin prickle. “You know that can never happen.”

She fully turned to him and clasped both of his hands in hers. “We haven’t even tried!”

“Aria—”

“Shepha is forgiving, he will listen—”

“Aria!” Malbonte cried loudly, making her gasp in fright “Enough of this—enough of these silly delusions! Shepha will never forgive, he will never accept, and I would rather _die_ than to be torn apart again. There is no turning back now. Do you understand?”

As she stared at him, one lone tear fell down her cheek. Malbonte instantly softened, his cold resolve shattering. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and tell her it would all be alright, that everything would be alright in the end—but he would be lying to her. He dropped her hands and turned away from her, trying to ignore the quiet sob that fell from her lips. He sucked in a harsh breath of air, his body trembling.

His eyes cast over the academy. Its cold stone walls, skillful architecture, and beautiful sculptures. From the roof he could even see the statue of Nemesis, holding her scales in eternal harmony. His voice cut through the silence. “When I was little, there was a town here where the academy stands now,” he told her. Aria shifted next to him, and he could tell that she was wiping at her eyes. “Back then,” he continued, “they only talked about building this place. Now look at it.”

Malbonte watched her eyes skim over the academy from above. She said nothing.

“You came to this world so late, Aria. In order for you to be born, my parents had to be exiled.” He gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head slowly. Sadness slowly began to sink into his skin. “Fate _always_ finds a way to mock us.”

Aria thoughtfully turned to him. “You’re saying goodbye.”

Malbonte looked up at her again, surprised that she had read him so easily. He gazed up on her and saw her face wet from tears. She was crying over him. Over _him._ It had been so long since someone had truly cared for him and now he was preparing himself to leave her for good. He felt a sharp pang in his chest as the vice grip around his heart tightened its hold. His voice was trembling when he spoke again. “A war is coming. You could die. Perhaps even by my hand.”

She laughed bitterly, and without humor. “You talk about it so easily.”

“This is reality now.”

He got up and extended an arm to her. She stared at his outstretched hand, her face furrowing in resentment. She started to get up on her own when her foot slipped on her nightdress. She cried out in fear, but Malbonte managed to quickly grab her around the waist without showing any sign of emotion. He had a smug look on his face, as if to say ‘ _You should have accepted my help.’_

She scoffed and pushed him away roughly, making her way away from the roof ledge. Her heart was racing and she leaned against the pillar of the dormitory tower for support. She hung her head as a wave of sadness washed over her again.

“I killed you, but I gave you immortality. Human life is worthless, Aria…it’s like a trial version of something bigger.” She was about to snap at him but he cut her off to finish his sentence. “And yet…I apologize for that.”

She stared back at him in shock. He was apologizing? Aria’s face softened and she listened to him fully, eyes welling up with tears again.

Malbonte took a step closer to her and knelt down at her side, bringing his face level to hers. “I apologize for every choice of mine that brought you pain. I apologize for every action, every death I caused that hurt you. And if we do end up on different sides, forgive me now for killing all the others who stand in my way. Forgive me if I’m forced to kill you. This is war.”

Her lip trembled and tears fell down her face, but she maintained a stone-cold expression. “If you want to kill me, do it now.”

“I don’t want to kill you,” he replied brokenly.

“I’ll never join you,” she said softly. Malbonte’s face was stony, but inside was a whirlwind of emotions. He felt something shatter from deep within him. “So you should just kill me now, before I cause you trouble.”

Malbonte’s eyes searched Aria’s and he found that she wasn’t lying. She was telling him the truth. She would never be able to join him. She would never be able to leave her friends at the academy, leave her mother, leave that smug demon prince who lusted after her… Lucifer didn’t love her. Not like he did.

His whole body trembled. “You’re right. I should kill you now.” And with that, he grabbed Aria’s hands and pulled her body into his. His wings wrapped around them like a giant cocoon as he launched himself over the edge of the roof, holding her tightly in his arms. Aria’s screams of terror were muffled by his greedy kiss and his warmth. They were free-falling, perhaps to their death, but for some reason, a wave of serene calmness washed over her.

Malbonte looked at her face, letting his resolve shatter. He felt strong emotion overcome him as he stroked a hand through her hair. She trembled against him, clutching his shirt in her tiny fists. And then she kissed him again.

His lips were hot and domineering, but chapped from the frost. This little detail was so simple and human that it excited her, making her lower her guard. His tongue dipped into her mouth, tangling with hers gently, tasting her, consuming her. Aria knew they were nearing the ground and for a fleeting moment, she wondered whether or not they would die.

He kissed her harder, tightening his grip on her waist and clutching her to his body as he opened his wings at the very last second, soaring back up into the air with a great burst of power. Aria gasped and clung to him desperately, shocked at the sudden movement. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. One arm supported her under her bottom and the other hand slowly stroked up her back, his hand cupping the back of her neck tenderly.

She felt him settle on solid ground. His arms released her as he bent down, setting her back on her feet. Looking around, she realized she had never been here before. There was a tall weeping willow tree that shone with beams of violet light. Little blue wisps of light floated around the grove, which was carefully hidden in the cover of the clouds. “What is this place?”

“This is a very sacred ground.” Malbonte replied. “Students aren’t normally allowed here. Hence why it’s very well hidden.”

The small island floated in the midst of a thick cloud cover, radiating beautiful light all around it. A trickling pond sat at the base of the tree, its bioluminescent water glowing greenish-blue in the darkness.

He directed her attention to the strange balls of blue light floating around them. “Those little wisps are very pure spirits. The spirits help maintain the balance of the realms. And this tree,” he pointed to the glowing, violet willow tree. “It possesses a strong connection to Shepha. Here, one can speak with him…pray to him. And he will listen.” He stepped away from her. Aria watched in amazement as his footprints left glowing remnants in the grass. He knelt before the tree, which seemed to radiate with pure magic and light. They were surrounded by beautiful glowing lights and a peaceful tranquility like she’d never known before. The violet hue of the tree glinted off of Malbonte’s black hair as he bent his head and started to pray.

Aria stared at him in shock. He had said this place was where a person could pray to Shepha, amongst pure spirits. He had said that he wanted to _kill_ Shepha. So what on earth was he doing? He was whispering in a tone too low for her to hear. She cautiously took a few steps forward, craning her neck painfully. But he was too quiet. He stood up a moment later, eyeing her suspiciously. She leaned back on her heels, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

His face was contorted with pain. He gazed upon her under the violet light of the tree, holding his hand out for her to join him. She stared at his hand for a moment before slowly walking towards him, leaving glowing footprints in the strange grass. He brought her into his body, and with a gentle finger, tilted her chin up to look at him. “You’re so beautiful, Aria,” he murmured. The girl felt her body warm at his words and she leaned into him. “So passionate. So strong. So full of courage.”

“Malbonte…” she whispered.

“You’re the good part of me,” he replied, pushing her slowly backwards. “The only good thing I have in this world.”

Aria could hardly speak. But she didn’t have to.

Malbonte’s lips pressed against hers and she felt his body radiate with warmth and emotion. His hands cupped her face tenderly as he tasted her, entangling his tongue with hers. She tasted sweet and minty, and he could hardly get enough. He pressed her back to the grass and watched it glow as her skin touched the ground. He broke from their kiss to place wet, open-mouthed kisses down the side of her jaw and neck, trailing them all the way down to her chest and collarbones. He kissed the Manjomi tattoo that decorated her skin, his fingers toying with the flimsy straps of her nightie. Malbonte watched her eyes fill with passion and lust, her green orbs swirling with darkness.

He fought the urge to grin as his loins ignited with fire. He lifted a hand and palmed her breast through the silky night-dress, feeling how her nipple perked at his touch. She was moaning, clutching at the back of his neck with her little hands. Begging him. Pleading with him for more.

He teased her nipples through the thin sheer of the nightdress, watching as they grew harder and harder at his touch. He put his mouth on the tiny bud, licking it through the fabric. She gave a moan of exasperation. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and what she wanted—however, he wasn’t willing to give in just yet. He played with her nipples gently, pressing more wet kisses to her neck. Her skin tasted like vanilla. It was intoxicating.

He trailed back up to her mouth where she eagerly kissed him, her tongue delving in and out of his mouth. He palmed her breasts as he settled his body over her, pressing his hardness between her legs teasingly. She moaned loudly into his mouth, her hands raking down his back to settle on his backside. To his surprise, she pressed down onto him, forcing him to grind his hips back into her pelvis. He moaned softly, rolling his hips into her fluidly once more.

However, she wasn’t satisfied with this.

She tried to push his backside down again, tried to make him grind against her once more, but he refused to move. She groaned into the kiss in annoyance. He smiled against her lips, felt her desperate movements, her pleading moans. She tried to raise her hips to grind against him again, but with a forceful hand, he pressed her back down. “Patience, love,” he whispered to her.

She lifted her hips again, lust overtaking her body completely. “Please,” she moaned. He lay over her, watching her wriggle beneath him in desire. “Please touch me. Please.” Malbonte could have conquered the entire three realms, but he doubted he’d feel as powerful as he did right then and there. She lifted her pelvis and shamelessly ground herself against his thigh, painting a trail of wetness on his trousers. It was then that he realized she was wearing no underclothes.

His resolve instantly snapped.

He pressed himself onto her again, dipping his tongue into her mouth. She parted her lips further to take more of him in, her hands pulling restlessly at the leather and fur cloak he wore. He broke from the kiss to rip his jacket and shirt off, leaving himself half-naked and teeming with desire. He began to kiss down her body again, placing a warm hand on her knee and pushing them wide apart. He pulled back her nightdress roughly.

Aria felt exposed by the sudden movement and tried to move, but he just forced her legs farther apart. “Mal… _oh…”_ His name melted into a moan on her tongue as he pressed his face between her thighs and licked from her entrance to her clit. The arousal on his tongue tasted like the sweetest honey. He traced his tongue around her swollen clit in little circles, feeling her body shudder around him with each movement. He placed his lips around the little bud and hollowed his cheeks, pulling her clit up into his mouth slightly. She cried out in pleasure, her hands gripping the bioluminescent grass next to her. He sucked on her clit slowly, torturously, as his finger slowly dipped into her entrance, which was slick and hot with her arousal.

He pressed the finger up into her, putting pressure on her sweet-spot while delicately sucking on her clit. Her moans became louder as her thighs clamped down around his head, trapping him there. He slowly inserted a second finger into her, hooking them into her sweet-spot again. Aria cursed loudly, which pleasantly surprised him, and he could feel his fingers become more and more drenched with her arousal. He released her clit with a satisfying _‘pop’_ and flattened his tongue, pressing it to the bud once more. He licked her slowly, pumping his fingers into her at a torturously slow speed. She was writhing beneath him, calling his name, begging him. Sweet, little curses were falling from her mouth as he continued to torment with her with his tongue.

Malbonte’s lips closed in around her clit again as he sucked gently, picking up the pace with his fingers. He drove them in and out of her, feeling how she got more and more wet with each movement, with each suck and lick. She lifted her hips from the ground and he supported her bottom with one hand while the other began to milk her of her orgasm.

“Oh, _fuck,_ ” she moaned deliciously, her legs beginning to shake. He sucked harder on her clit and practically growled into her pussy, digging his fingers harder into her sweet-spot, pumping them ever-faster. With a gasp, he felt her come undone around his fingers, her body convulsing and dripping with cum. He gently removed his fingers, bringing his mouth down from her clit to her sopping core and delving his tongue into her. She cried out and her hands were trying to push him away, but he stayed latched onto her tightly, forcing her to ride out the remainders of her orgasm in his mouth.

A moment later she sat up and forcefully grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to lay on his back in the grass. Shocked, he barely had enough time to register what she was doing before she climbed over him, straddling his pelvis with her soft thighs. In one swift movement, Aria tore off her silk nightie, tossing it to the side of them. Malbonte’s breath was nearly stolen as his eyes hungrily took in her naked flesh.

She was slender, yet curvy in all the right places. His hands gripped her hips, digging into her supple flesh. And as she leaned back slightly, he could see the defined line down the center of her stomach, the perky curve of her breasts, the angle of her slim waist. Her tanned skin glowed in the light of the Willow, wisps floating all around them like fireflies.

He reached out to touch her, palming her soft breast with his hand. She went to work on the laces of his trousers, shoving them down quickly. She was shameless, desperate, and hungry for him. He had no other thought in that moment other than the overwhelming urge to make love to Aria Walker, and make her totally his under the eye of Shepha.

He was rock hard before her. Aria took his considerable length into her hand and began to stroke softly. He mumbled a soft curse, his fingers digging deeper into her hips. She looked down at him, her eyes seeming to glow in the dim light. “Do you want me, Malbonte?” She asked him softly. Her voice was so sweet, so innocent-sounding.

He bucked his hips up into her slightly. “More than anything,” came his hoarse reply.

She did not make him wait. She took him into her hand and guided him into her. The feeling of her warmth against him, wrapping so tightly around his cock, stole the breath from his lungs. He let out a low moan as she sunk further down onto him, until he was completely inside of her. Until they were one.

And then she started to move.

She rolled her hips onto him slowly at first, as if testing her new position, and Malbonte nearly growled from how good it felt. He watched as she made love to him, her beautiful body becoming slick with sweat, her sweet lips parted by moans that rolled off her tongue so prettily. Aria ran her hands down his muscled torso, pushing him back into the grass as she raised her hips higher and began to fuck him harder.

 _“ Fuck_.” Hearing Malbonte’s moans only spurred her on more. He gripped her hips tightly as she moved up and down on him, his will-power slowly deteriorating with each delicious snap of her hips. He sat up quickly and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pressing her to his hard body. He kissed her hard, threading his fingers through her soft hair and tugging firmly.

“Ah,” she moaned from the pain and pleasure. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on it, dragging his teeth along her skin. She continued to ride him, her hips meeting his with each passionate thrust. His fingers snaked around the back of her neck as he cradled her in his arms, breaking away from the kiss to gaze deeply into her eyes.

He felt a deep peace settle in his stomach as he looked upon her face, her eyes heavy-lidded and lips parted and swollen. Her cheeks were flushed as she looked upon him, stalling her movement for a moment. She saw how he gazed at her, and she understood. She reached out and touched his face, smoothing her fingers over his temple, over his cheekbone, and finally down to his lips. Malbonte kissed her fingertips tenderly and she felt a flutter of warmth in her stomach. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her nose.

“I want to stay forever in this moment,” she whispered it so quietly that he barely heard her. But he heard her nonetheless.

He gently kissed her, lowering her to the ground and rolling on top of her. He threaded his fingers through hers and slowly rocked his hips into her. He hoped to convey with his body that he, too, wished that he could stay there forever with her. And so he made love to her. He made love to her like no one else had, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, kissing her tenderly, holding her hand tightly.

His rotated his hips and drove into her with speed and skill. Aria moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her heels into the small of his back. Malbonte growled at the action, biting the junction of her neck possessively. She raked her nails down his back, begging him to move faster, harder. He pulled himself almost completely out of her before slamming back into her forcefully, his eyes watching the way Aria’s eyes squeezed shut from pleasure. Her nails dug into his skin and he was almost certain he was bleeding.

“Malbonte,” she whimpered. “God, I can’t take it!” Her little body was trembling beneath him as he relentlessly drove himself into her, her wetness painting his thighs. They moved as one. Malbonte could feel her heartbeat in his chest.

He pressed his body to hers as he felt his release building. “Stay with me,” he told her. He forced her to look into his eyes as they both felt their climaxes building.

When his release came, his wings twitched madly and splayed out to their full span, each individual feather quivering in pleasure. She held tightly to him as she convulsed around his pulsating member, his hot breath burning the side of her neck as he pumped her with his orgasm. He had never felt such a feeling of connection with another.

Coming down from his pleasure high, he pressed a soft kiss to her collarbone as he came down from his climax, pulling back to gaze up on her face. She sweetly pushed his dark hair from his eyes, smoothing her thumb along his cheekbone.

He gazed upon her flushed cheeks. He watched her smile at him. He saw the adoration in her eyes. And in that moment, he would have abandoned his entire life’s work if it meant he could stay with her forever. He wanted to join her side. He wanted to be with her eternally. He wanted to make her happy until the end of days, but he knew deep in his heart that Shepha would never allow it. She would be imprisoned for following him, cast out, maybe even outright killed.

Shepha had to die. He saw no other alternative. Maybe then, he could be happy in this world. Maybe then she would accept him.

He pushed himself off of her and picked up her discarded silk nightie. He held it in his hands for a moment, smelling her sweet vanilla scent, feeling the soft fabric between his fingers. When she sat up next to him, he handed her the nightie with a half-smile. “Get dressed before someone sees us.”

She scoffed. “And who will see us?”

He brought his knees to his chest and looked up at the sky thoughtfully. “Shepha is always watching.”

Aria slipped the nightie over her head. “And suddenly you care about what Shepha thinks?”

Malbonte sighed. He didn’t care about what Shephathought of him. His reputation was beyond repair, but Aria’s…he had to ensure that she stayed in Shepha’s favor. For now.

He looked over at Aria. She stood from the ground, her nightie billowing out in the wind. She let down her hair, her soft, pale-brown curls tumbling down her back. She was so beautiful. So…dear to him. He let out a morose chuckle. “You told me to kill you,” he addressed her. Aria turned to him, her brows furrowing together. The look on her face was so pure. “I was so sure that you’d fall by my hand.”

“And now?” Aria asked softly.

“Now I’m the one that has fallen,” Malbonte told her. She stared at him for a moment in confusion. She took a step towards him but he backed away from her.

Aria’s eyes widened with understanding. “Malbonte—”

“That wasn’t part of my plan, Aria.” He smiled at her, but it was sad. So sad. “You have thwarted me yet again.”

She took another step towards him again, but he moved away from her once more. “Are we enemies again?”

He swallowed thickly, the muscles in his cheeks flexing as he clenched his jaw. “We have always been enemies.”

“So you will kill me now?” She asked. “That’s it?”

“No,” he replied. “But if I see you again, and you try to stop me, you will give me no choice.”

Aria’s heart pounded in her chest. She lifted her chin defiantly. “Kill me gently, then.” The words shocked and pained him. “If I must die by your hand, then promise me that.”

“Why are you asking me this?” He asked incredulously.

“Because I won’t leave you. I won’t let you ruin yourself.” Aria’s eyes glistened with the tears she tried desperately to fight back. “And if you kill me for it, then I hope I die peacefully. Knowing that I did all that I could do.”

He stared at her in horror. He quickly turned away as tears pooled in his eyes, falling down his cheeks without warning. Her words had moved him more than he had ever thought possible. He hadn’t cried in a millennia. And now he couldn’t stop himself. He heard her footsteps come towards him in the grass.

In despair, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at her, forcing her to halt where she stood. The tip of the sword lay just under her chin, a millimeter’s length away from the tender skin of her neck. Aria moved not, staring at him resolutely. His eyes were glassy and one lone tear streaked down the side of his face. “I never want to see you again,” he said. His face was stony and expressionless, despite the tears that fell from his eyes. “I hope I never do.”

Aria inhaled in shock, blinking rapidly. She hadn’t expected the words. She stepped away from the sword slowly, lowering her eyes. Malbonte stood at the edge of the floating island, his wings splayed. He sheathed his sword and without farewell, his vision disappeared like smoke in the wind.

She stared at the place where he had been just a moment before. She was too shocked to do anything but stare. She didn’t know how much time had passed before she noticed it.

Aria sensed a presence behind her. Something was telling her to turn around. She first noticed its blue glow and the warmth that radiated through it. One of the floating wisps of light had stopped right behind her, glowing stationary before her. All of the sudden, the light began to morph and change shape before her eyes. She stepped back in fear as the wisp took the form of a beautiful woman. The woman was but a mere silhouette without a face, but her voice was calm and peaceful as she reached out to touch Aria.

“Look,” she said. So Aria looked.

The woman’s touch sent her vision through time, back to when Malbonte had kneeled before the great, violet willow tree. He had bowed his head and whispered things that she couldn’t hear.

“Listen,” the woman said. So Aria listened.

Malbonte’s voice came into earshot and nothing would have prepared her for what he would say next. His voice came in and out like a fever dream.

_I do not pray for forgiveness… I want revenge… But hear me, Shepha… even if we cannot reconcile, I beg you… protect her. She is my light… she is the only thing…keeps me from falling…to the darkness…_

Aria trembled as she felt the tears prickle at her eyes.

_Protect her…from evil… from me… this war is between you and I… keep her from this…darkness…And if I fall to your hand, spare her. Not even my greatest efforts to recruit her would work…she would not join me…When I attack…citadel…tomorrow eve… she will stop me… protect her … from me… I beg you…_

The woman released her hold on Aria and she stumbled backwards. Tears streamed down her face and she clutched at her neck, as if unable to breathe. “I don’t understand,” she sobbed. “What was that?”

The woman merely stared back at her. Then she began to walk away.

“Wait!” Aria called. “Where are you going?”

The woman slowly shrank in size, changing in form. Until she was a wisp that blended in with all of the others once more.

Malbonte was attacking the Citadel tomorrow? She had to warn the others. She had to go to the academy and wake Mimi, wake her mother, and hold a council with the trusted few. They had to have enough time to send dragons to the Citadel to warn them that Malbonte’s army was coming to steal Shepha’s keys. She knew she needed to act but her feet would not move.

“Malbonte…” She looked out at the vast expanse of the night. Everything would change so much in just a few hours. He would past the point of no return. And if she tried to stop him, he would kill her. But to die by his hand…if she could bring him salvation, she would have gladly lay down her life to save him from the darkness looming over his soul. She looked up at the sky, wondering if Shepha was watching over her. A shooting star streaked across the sky.

Aria wondered if Malbonte was looking at those same stars, from wherever he was.


End file.
